POLAND — The RSU 16 School Committee on Monday accepted the resignation of Elm Street School Principal Angela Taylor, effective the end of the current school year.

Taylor has been employed by RSU 16 for the past 12 years, beginning at Poland Regional High School, where she helped create an excellent alternative education program, School Committee member Mary Ella Jones noted.

Superintendent Tina Meserve said she hoped to be in a position to present the School Committee with a candidate to fill Taylor’s positionm, and that of Arthur Reed, whose resignation as Minot Consolidated School principal was accepted three weeks ago, at its June 9 meeting.

Taylor has been offered a position in another school district, but declined at this time to state which district as she is still considering the offer. Reed is retiring after 39 years in education, spending the past 12 years in Mechanic Falls and Minot.

Meserve noted that, to date, she has received packets from six applicants, five of whom wish to be considered for either of the two principalships.

In other business, School Committee member Aaron Ouellette, relating issues before the Facilities and Transportation Subcommittee, saying it was making progress on a policy governing use of school facilities by outside groups.

One element in the proposed policy, requiring all outside groups to hold $100,000 liability insurance coverage as a condition for using school facilities, caused some concern when brought before the full School Committee, as several members feared such a condition might prove difficult for some community groups.

The Minot Board of Selectmen also wrote a letter to the School Committee opposing such a move.

Ouellette said the Facilities and Transportation Subcommittee hoped to have something ready for the board’s consideration at its June 9 meeting.

He also reported that the subcommittee has asked Assistant Superintendent Kim Brandt to look into ways to reduce the district’s transportation costs, including looking at contracting transportation services out to a private firm.

The School Committee also approved an out-of-state field trip for Poland Regional High School debaters to attend the National Speech and Debate Tournament to be held next month in Chicago. The group and its supporters bear the responsibility for raising funds.

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